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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26370439">Ex Invader Zim</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoStarsFound/pseuds/NoStarsFound'>NoStarsFound</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Invader Zim</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action/Adventure, Alien/Human Relationships, Blood and Violence, Depression, Drama &amp; Romance, M/M, Older Dib (Invader Zim), Self-Harm, Triggers, War</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 06:47:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,887</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26370439</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoStarsFound/pseuds/NoStarsFound</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"The alien, then, started to march towards the exit door, followed by a continuous 'grrr', produced by the metal bar scratching on the floor behind him. 'I won't take long', he affirmed, mostly to himself".</p><p>"Feels like he should have done this ages ago".</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dib &amp; Zim (Invader Zim), Dib/Zim (Invader Zim)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Real Nightmare Begins</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So... I've been meaning to make an Invader Zim fanfiction for a while now, but I was holding back cuz...</p><p>1. My writing skills suck and I have never done anything like this before, so I was scared of being misunderstood or severely criticized.<br/>Those are still a thing, but I've figured it will be much better if I do it thinking about me and my story. It's not that I wanna be selfish. It just helps me focus. I want to write a story I enjoy and better my English skills in the process. But I do care about your opinion and It would make me really happy to know other people like it too hehe.</p><p>2. I haven't finished consuming all the is about this universe, canon wise. I've watched the show, read the unfinished episodes, and seen the movie, but I still have to go through the comics. I've started, but.. yeah. It worries me I'll miss out on the opportunities to use some other information about the universe I have no idea exists. But, since I'm going for something more like "how would I write this story", my imagination is all I need rn. Therefore, a lot of the stuff that happens in the show have a different outcome or different timing or have never happened at all in here. This is MY version of IZ, not the creators, so keep that in mind while reading it.</p><p>That said, I have much more experience with comics, illustrations, animations, and drawings in general than I have with writing, so, to drag you guys into the narrative a bit more, I'll post some drawings on my Tumblr feed once in a while too, as well as some side mini-stories and stuff. And, of course, I'll be happy to reply to your questions too if there aren't any spoilers involved.</p><p>Just a disclaimer: English not being my mother language and all, I might struggle a bit, so I just wanna say right off the bat: I'm sorry rsrs. Also, sometimes I may go back to my previous chapters to edit them. But not to worry: the story will stay the same regardless.</p><p>Well, that's all for now. Enjoy.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The air was hot and suffocating. Sweat dripped from the irken's forehead and down his spine. The flickering lights under the dark setting of the underground lab seemed to blind his eyes every time he'd open them. He could feel his blood boiling up to his heart and down to his body with every pump.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"M-my Tallest..." he muttered, his words rough and sharp, cutting </span>
  <em>
    <span>deep </span>
  </em>
  <span>into his throat at every syllable. His organs seemed to be paying a loud and passionate </span>
  <em>
    <span>cacophonous orchestra </span>
  </em>
  <span>inside him, making his dinner jump and dance along with the beat. His hands were indecisive and his legs were about to fail at their only job. He had never felt this much full of </span>
  <em>
    <span>anger </span>
  </em>
  <span>and </span>
  <em>
    <span>frustration</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Please, my Tallest! I'm </span>
  <strong>
    <span>THIS </span>
  </strong>
  <span>close of conquering this- this </span>
  <em>
    <span>ball of mud and pitifulness! </span>
  </em>
  <span>_said Zim, as gesturing the idea with his fingers_ It's all that </span>
  <em>
    <span>earthling boy's </span>
  </em>
  <span>fault! He is not like the other </span>
  <em>
    <span>filthy sacks of meat </span>
  </em>
  <span>running around- there is something </span>
  <em>
    <span>wrong </span>
  </em>
  <span>with his head! If I could just </span>
  <strong>
    <span>kill </span>
  </strong>
  <span>him- _he explained to the tall figures displayed on the computer screen in front of him, before being interrupted by the one with the red, crimson eyes, lifting his right hand with an open palm.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- That's </span>
  <strong>
    <span>enough</span>
  </strong>
  <span> _both spoke, simultaneously.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- We've been hearing these lazy excuses from you for the past </span>
  <em>
    <span> 5 iears! </span>
  </em>
  <span> _yelled the one with the purplish, more like violet, eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- You've had your chance _said Tallest Red. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- He's had </span>
  <strong>
    <span>all </span>
  </strong>
  <span>the chances! _added Tallest Purple, facing his partner.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Zim, I'm sorry to say, but: you are not cut out to be an Invader.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- He isn't cut out to be and </span>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span>Irken</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
  <span>!</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- N-no... I- _Zim stuttered.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Up until now, we've been acting upon the last command from the Control Brains, decreed after your trial of </span>
  <strong>
    <span>ten iears </span>
  </strong>
  <span>ago, regarding the complete annihilation of a </span>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span>whole </span>
    </em>
  </strong>
  <em>
    <span>planet</span>
  </em>
  <span>:</span>
  <strong>
    <span> Convetia I</span>
  </strong>
  <span>; killing more than a </span>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span>shmillian of Irkens</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
  <span>, including former </span>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span>Tallest Miyuki</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
  <span>, and utterly </span>
  <em>
    <span>ruining </span>
  </em>
  <strong>
    <span>Operation Impending Doom I</span>
  </strong>
  <span> _Red pointed out.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Not to mention the </span>
  <strong>
    <span>other </span>
  </strong>
  <span>acts you've pulled off since the day you were born _reminded Purple_. You only still alive because- _Purple detained himself, realizing Red's eyes weighing on him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Both me, Purple, and the Brains have been merciful enough to give you countless second chances. We've been patient, Zim _continued Red, returning his attention to the little one on the other side of the galaxy.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Yeah... </span>
  <em>
    <span>patient </span>
  </em>
  <span>_groaned Purple, sitting on his chair, clearly bothered by the subject.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- M-my leaders! I know I've let you down, but-... I-I just need more a couple of weeks- </span>
  <strong>
    <span>please! </span>
  </strong>
  <span>I can do better for you! For the Empire! _beamed the little alien, holding his heart on his hands.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- You've done enough _Red put it, simply.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- </span>
  <strong>
    <span> More </span>
  </strong>
  <span>than enough... _stated Purple.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- B-but-! _he stopped, not really knowing what to say next.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- We've discussed the matter with the Brains again and we've got to a final decision _announced Red, clearing his throat before he could continue_: Invader Zim, your crimes against the Empire are of utmost </span>
  <em>
    <span>disgrace </span>
  </em>
  <span>to the irken pride. Your PAK unit is so corrupted to the point where </span>
  <em>
    <span>even </span>
  </em>
  <span>the </span>
  <strong>
    <span>Control Brains </span>
  </strong>
  <span>couldn't bare to proceed with the standard protocol for defectives. Therefore, had you showed yourself not capable of completing </span>
  <strong>
    <span>yet another </span>
    <em>
      <span>simple </span>
    </em>
    <span>mission </span>
  </strong>
  <span>given to you in almost 5 iears, the Empire will not abide by this sort of behavior any longer. And so, for that reason-</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- And </span>
  <strong>
    <span>many </span>
  </strong>
  <span>others... _Purple jumped in.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- You, unit 213EH, are being fully discharged from duty. All your titles will be revoked-</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- As if he had any... _Purble interrupted again, a bit softer this time.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- And your PAK will be reencoded so that its extra support tools will have its functionalities reduced to 0%, which leaves you with its biological upgrades and life support, only. Plus, all the knowledge that has been downloaded into it, about the technicalities of irken technology, will be </span>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span>completely deleted-</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- WHAT?! That means I-</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- As well as all the database about the existence of this unit _continued Red, looking tired of being interrupted.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- No! Wait!</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- In addition to that, your VootCruise will be shut down, as long as your base's control system, immediately after this call. You are to be </span>
  <strong>
    <span>banished </span>
  </strong>
  <span>to Earth-</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- NO-</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- And, finally, you will be </span>
  <strong>
    <span>permanently </span>
  </strong>
  <span>disconnected from the Control Brains and unable to contact Irk, The Massive, or any other irken </span>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span>definitively.</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- WAIT! I'm not-! _he tried.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Upon entering Irken territory, the Empire will strike to kill.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- I LIVE FOR THE EMPIRE! MY LIFE IS TO PLEAS- _he argued.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- The reencoding chip will arrive within 3 hours or so.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- NO! PLEASE, MY TALLEST! _he pleaded.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Don't try to fight it; no irken can escape </span>
  <em>
    <span>that thing</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- MY TAL-! _he screamed.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- We are </span>
  <strong>
    <span>no longer </span>
  </strong>
  <span>your Tallest! We are </span>
  <strong>
    <span>no longer </span>
  </strong>
  <span>related!... You are not</span>
  <strong>
    
  </strong>
  <span>an </span>
  <em>
    <span>Irken </span>
  </em>
  <span>anymore _Red finally exploded, noticeably angry now.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- No... NO! PLEASE!- _he begged.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- It's over, Zim. It was fun... for 5 iears _finished Purple, indifferently.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- </span>
  <strong>
    <span>WAIT!!! </span>
  </strong>
  <span>_he implored.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- </span>
  <em>
    <span>CALL ENDED. THIS NUMBER HAS BLOCKED YOUUUuuuu </span>
  </em>
  <span> _said a dying robot voice, before leaving the room to absolute silence, as the power shut down.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>-x-</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Zim was static. His eyes fixed on the screen before him, now blacked out. The alien stayed like that: paralyzed; as if trying to adjust to the subtle darkness, but, of course, that wasn't the real reason why he couldn't move. Or breath.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A couple of minutes passed and his legs finally gave out, throwing the ex invader forcefully on his knees. The shock of his joints hitting the floor seemed to have brought him down to earth, as he was able to inhale again. He slowly lifted his hands, contemplative, when a light, blueish liquid started to pour from his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Upon noticing the tears streaming down his cheeks, Zim's expression shifted violently from a blank, almost serene look, to a </span>
  <em>
    <span> hateful, deep </span>
  </em>
  <span>frown. His arms wrapped around his torso, searching for comfort while looking down the tears drops agglomerate on the tiles' cracks below him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>With his head now touching the ground, he could feel the cold surface against his skin. His vision and thoughts felt like fog and his head like a ticking bomb. His breath was uneven and he couldn't stop shaking. The room was filled with nothing but sobs and weeps. And yet, all Zim could hear was Purple's last words playing continuously on the back of his mind.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"It's over, Zim".</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Taking a gulp of air, the alien let out a </span>
  <em>
    <span> deep, low groan</span>
  </em>
  <span>, as if to test his throat, to see if it was working as it should. Then, as those boiling feelings from before came back all at once, the ex irken let go of a </span>
  <em>
    <span> loud and painful scream</span>
  </em>
  <span>, like no other before. It echoed through the lab, to the whole base, loud enough for the neighbors to hear it as a still pretty strong </span>
  <em>
    <span>roar </span>
  </em>
  <span>from the surface. It was followed by a second, and a third, as fierce as the first one, before it finally toned down.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Zim kept shouting and yelling while beating his head against the hard floor. Long, sharp claws manifested from his fingertips and engraved four </span>
  <em>
    <span>deep, thick,</span>
  </em>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span> bloody </span>
    </em>
  </strong>
  <span>lines on each side of his waist, giving more fuel to the struggle. As if rage had given him strength, the alien swapped right back on his feet and, with a hammer-like movement, carved two </span>
  <em>
    <span>huge </span>
  </em>
  <span>holes on the control panels of his computer. It was useless now, anyways. His hands immediately felt the pain from it and were, most likely, bleeding, but the alien couldn't have cared any less.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>His chair was thrown through the air, against the screen, shattering it into little, tiny pieces. With the central piece of his now perfectly ruined chair, the animal swung across the room, destroying cables, metal boards, light panels, and whatever else was in its way. For every strike, its throat sore with pain from the screams it was letting out. The tears were still rolling and a </span>
  <em>
    <span> large</span>
  </em>
  <span>, ear to ear, </span>
  <strong>
    <span>smiled </span>
  </strong>
  <span>had crept its way on its face. At that moment, Zim was a true </span>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span>space beast.</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>-x-</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>After a while, a bit worn out, the alien took a pause to appreciate his work so far. The lab was now fully destroyed, just like his soul. There was metal wreckage everywhere, mixed with shattered glass and Zim's blood. He would have been proud of himself if he wasn't so </span>
  <em>
    <span>miserable. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, he sees something among the mess that captivated his eyes: an </span>
  <em>
    <span>unfamiliar </span>
  </em>
  <span>piece of tech. "... </span>
  <strong>
    <span>Dib</span>
  </strong>
  <span>". His spine shivered at the sound of that name as if he was casting a curse. And, like an arrow had crossed his PAK, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew </span>
  </em>
  <span>what he wanted to do. What </span>
  <strong>
    <span>needed </span>
  </strong>
  <span>to be done.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Completely ignoring the pain from his wounds and with a firm grip around the metal bar, Zim takes a glance at a little robot that had been watching for a while now, but the alien had been busy. "Stay here, Gir", he said, in a strong, serious tone. The little SIR unit, too scared to answer its master properly, did a tiny nod in agreement.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The space beast, then, started to march towards the exit door, followed by a continuous "grrr", produced by the metal bar scratching on the floor behind it. "I </span>
  <em>
    <span>won't </span>
  </em>
  <span>take long", it affirmed, mostly to itself.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Feels like he should have done this ages ago.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Real Nightmare Continues</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>"The pain was unbearable. At that moment, Zim's only thoughts were 'ah, guess death would have been better, after all'."</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thx for those who support me and my art.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Finally: the bell ring. No matter how smart a person is, no one could stop the immediate urge to rise from one's sit, shove whoever is in the way, and barge through that door. Unless, of course, had you lost all your will to live.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Well, either that, or you were the teacher. Or maybe both.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Ignoring the fuzz ahead, Dib kept reluctantly erasing his rocket drawing, printed on the chalkboard. "Why did I make it this perfect?" he thought, as he saw the last line fade away.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Letting go of a long sigh, the boy turned to his desk to pick up his stuff. He blindly thrust all in his bag and quickly tossed it over his shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Making his way to the exit, Dib stopped halfway up.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- You okay, Mr. Reggins? _He asked, looking at a blond, young boy, sited a couple of feet away. You could feel the concern in his voice.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Hum, yeah. I'm... _the boy seemed uneasy.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- ... Did you not finish taking your notes?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- ... yeah.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Without so much of a thought, Dib pulled out his Idap and started scrolling down the screen.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Here _he said, handing it over to the kid_. Take a pic.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Oh! Thanks, Professor Membrane.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- No problem.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- ... Hehe, you sure like aliens, hu _spoke the younger one, pointing to a green head sticker, glued to the device's cover.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Ah, yeah. I think they are interesting.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- How do you know they exist? Have you met one before? _he asked, being a bit provocative.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Ha, I wish. But we are all free to dream, right? _answered the professor in a playful tone.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Haha, I guess... Here _said the other, handing the gadget back_ I'm done. Thanks again.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Whenever you need _reasured the teacher, watching the kid walk away.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He didn't like lying, but, at this point, Dib needed to.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>-x-</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was dark. The teacher's lounge was quiet and empty, except for himself, and the sound of water drops from the outside.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It had been a tiring workday, like every other one of those. In the back of his mind, he could hear his bed calling him, begging for the boy to come home. "At least is Friday", he thought to himself.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, he longed for some rest. But the true joy of the weekends wasn't the vague space on his couch. It was when he got to see Zim. Well, to fight him, obviously.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Since Dib started working, they had an agreement: no doom day during the week. This way Zim got more time to think through his plans and Dib could work his ass off in peace.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>So much time had passed Dib had become attached. He couldn't remember when the idea of killing the alien or exposing him to the world had stopped tempting the boy. It didn't matter, anyways.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sure, Zim </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> trying to take over the world, but he hasn't succeeded yet. And as long as Dib was there, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>never</span>
  </em>
  <span> would.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Truth be told: the boy missed the old days, though. He and the irken used to talk a lot more back in HighSkool. Oh well. Adulthood isn't for the weak of heart. As much as he would </span>
  <em>
    <span>love</span>
  </em>
  <span> to spend his days annoying Zim and searching for cryptids, he had bills to pay.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Besides, his work wasn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> bad. Sure, being a physics professor at such a demanding university as Varhard was tough. Not to mention the kind of treatment he got from his work peers. Twenty-three years old and people still saw him as a freak.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>But he did like teaching and helping people through this awkward phase of their lives. He'd like to think he was Ms. Bitters' exact opposite.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Being called by his dad's name was creepy as fuck, though.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>However, Dib didn't plan to keep at it forever. One day, he would finally explore all those planets out there, never seen or touched by humans before. He was going to study and map it all. He could go visit the space boy some time too.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He just had to wait till Zim left.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>-x-</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Upon arriving at his apartment, Dib immediately closed the door, took his shoes off, and flopped on his sofa. He could feel his stress going away along with his back-pain from riding his bike to work every day.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The place belonged to an old couple across the street, in a pretty calm residential area. It was similar to a deposit but was all well done and nicely finished. Apparently, it used to be the owner's daughter's room, before she got married.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He sure was lucky to find a place like that: cheap, near enough his job, and relatively big. Besides, it being a loft, he had the basic stuff set on the first floor and his lab stuff on the second one. It was just perfect.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The boy was </span>
  <em>
    <span>exhausted,</span>
  </em>
  <span> so it didn't take long before he dozed off.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>-x-</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Dib woke up to a sudden </span>
  <strong>
    <span>bang</span>
  </strong>
  <span>. The clash immediately shook the sleep off of him, quickly getting the boy on his feet. Still a bit dizzy, he started to slowly get away from where the noise had come from, carefully watching his steps. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Who- who's there? _he questioned, sweat dripping down his face.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The answer didn't come out in words as he'd have expected. Instead, all he heard was a deep, angry growl. So, naturally, he thought it was an animal that he was dealing with. Maybe a cryptid.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>However, as the creature started to come forward, the lights from the city, coming through his now broken window, reflected its shape well enough so it was recognizable.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- ... </span>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span>Zim</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
  <span>?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Dib stumbled in the dark behind him with the shock, making him lose his balance and fall on his tail. It </span>
  <strong>
    <span>was</span>
  </strong>
  <span> him: his nemesis. But </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span> was off.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Zim was standing a few meters away from the human, his body being carried by the classic spider's legs. The closer he got, the higher he went, as if trying to assert power.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The alien's clothes were ripped all over, covered in neon </span>
  <em>
    <span>pick blood</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Still grunting, his mouth displayed all the teeth Zim processed, ready to chump Dib's head off at any moment. The red eyes glowed in the dark with a frown so deep humans probably couldn't reproduce.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>This was the </span>
  <em>
    <span>most furious</span>
  </em>
  <span> Dib had ever seen Zim in </span>
  <strong>
    <span>ten years</span>
  </strong>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Without a word, the irken swooped right onto Dib, his claws open and ready to tear some bones and flash. The boy managed to dodge it somehow, making the creature fly into the bare wall behind him, all heads first.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The boy took Zim's recovering time to launch himself to the other side of the room, putting his sofa between them. Seeing the beast was already standing again, he summoned all the strength he had and used it on the furniture, throwing it in the direction of his opponent, burying the alien under it.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Although that thing was heavy, the professor knew that monster would not be held down much longer, so that was his cue to think of a plan.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- H-hey Zim, it's me: Dib! _he tried.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Nothing but rumbling.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- W-what happened to you? Why are you attacking me all of the sudden? I-I thought we had an agreement... _he hopped to reason.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It didn't seem very effective.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Is this because of last time? C'mon, I said I was sorry. I didn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>mean</span>
  </em>
  <span> to </span>
  <strong>
    <span>blow up </span>
  </strong>
  <span>your base like that- it was an accident...</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was no use. Zim was completely out of it.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>After a few minutes of silence through the struggle, the alien erupted from the sofa's fabric, ruining it. Seeing Dib ran out of time, the boy vanished to the second floor, the extraterrestrial </span>
  <em>
    <span>thing</span>
  </em>
  <span> right behind him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Getting to his lab, Dib instantly pressed a button tucked in his pocket and three giant bars of metal came down the ceiling, blocking the passage before Zim could get to it.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Don't -ah... Don't think you are gonna beat me- ah... That easily on my own- ah ah... My own house... _said the boy, in between his breath. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The alien just utterly ignored the human, proceeding to bite the bars in his way, instead.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- God, will you </span>
  <strong>
    <span>stop</span>
  </strong>
  <span>? The fuck is going on? All these years and </span>
  <em>
    <span>now </span>
  </em>
  <strong>
    <span>this</span>
  </strong>
  <span>? _Dib needed some kind of explanation_ ...You just going to ignore me?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Nothing but munching.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Say </span>
  <strong>
    <span>something</span>
  </strong>
  <span>, damn it!</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Silence! _finally, a signal of intelligent life_. I'm going to </span>
  <strong>
    <span>kill you</span>
  </strong>
  <span>, </span>
  <em>
    <span>earth filth</span>
  </em>
  <span>! _but the words weren't as comforting, though.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- HALLELUJAH! Thought you might have gone mad there _he sighed, but, giving Zim another glance, he now wasn't so sure if he should feel relieved.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- ... You are dead, Dib.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Wow, he called me by my actual name. No other weird-ass name attached. This guy is fucking serious" he realized.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Then again, maybe you have... _concluded the boy, watching alien as he now tried to cut through the metal with his PAK's laser_ Zim, stop. You are wasting your time. There is no way you can melt that, it's made of-</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Just as he was going to finish his sentence, Zim shifted his aim from the bars to the boy in front of him, burning a lock of his hair.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- DUDE! WTF?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, a huge noise was heard coming from the outside. The boy rushed to a small window on one of the sides of the room, peeking through it out of curiosity.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- </span>
  <em>
    <span>Great</span>
  </em>
  <span>, now what?! _he asked for the gods to answer.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Upon adjusting his eyes to focus on the front door, Dib notices a tiny crater that had been formed on the ground. After further inspection, he was able to decipher its cause.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Is that... a box?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Zim's body froze. He knew exactly what that was.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Dib, let me in.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- What?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The boy was interrupted by the sound of his door burst open. Steps could be heard approaching them.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- I SAID </span>
  <strong>
    <span>LET ME IN</span>
  </strong>
  <span>!</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- The fuck I'll! You were </span>
  <em>
    <span>just</span>
  </em>
  <span> trying to kill me! You think I'm stupid?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Nevermind that! Just </span>
  <em>
    <span>let me in</span>
  </em>
  <span>!!!</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>From behind Zim, a figure of </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span> appeared. I was a few inches taller than Dib and had four arms sticking out its torso. There was </span>
  <em>
    <span>no way</span>
  </em>
  <span> it could have fit that box.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- </span>
  <em>
    <span>UNIT 213EH, YOU ARE TO BE REENCODED</span>
  </em>
  <span> _it spoke, with a very clear robotic voice, as it started to march forwards, climbing up the stairs.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- </span>
  <strong>
    <span>DIB!!!</span>
  </strong>
  <span> _the alien screamed, in complete terror.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- A-AH, RIGHT! _Dib promptly changed his mind.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The bars were gone and back again within seconds, giving just enough time for only the alien to pass through. Zim ran over to Dib's side, turning back to face down at hell's gate.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>That was what death looked like for him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- WHAT THE </span>
  <strong>
    <span>FUCK</span>
  </strong>
  <span> IS THAT!? _Dib was more confused than before, though he'd have sworn not possible.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- ... That's the </span>
  <strong>
    <span>reencoding chip</span>
  </strong>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- And that means?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- IT MEANS BAD NEWS, DIB! CAN'T YOU TELL?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- YEAH, THIS MUCH I CAN TELL, THANK YOU. Could you </span>
  <em>
    <span>care</span>
  </em>
  <span> to </span>
  <em>
    <span>provide</span>
  </em>
  <span> me with more </span>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span>details</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
  <span>?!</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- There is no time for that!</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Before Dib could think of a reply, he stopped at the sound of his metal bars bugging.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- How-?... How strong is that thing?!</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- It was made so that no irken could fight nor escape it. Its material is from planet Brookin77. It's the second most resistant metal discover by irk so far.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- There is a stronger one?!</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The bars finally gave in. Fire exploded from bellow the robot's feet and it started flying in the alien's direction.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- UNIT 213EH, YOU ARE TO BE REENCODED _ it repeated itself, in English this time, landing in front of the space boy_. SURRENDER PEACEFULLY AND VIOLENCE WILL NOT BE NECESSARY _he finished and a laser beamed out from one of his hands, nearly hitting the irken's foot.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was a warning sign.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Zim! Over there, in that cabinet _he said as pointing to a corner of the room, placing himself in front of the irken_. There is a secret door behind it! Go! I'll try to buy you some time.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- ... No, stop... It's pointless, Dib-thing. You would only end up killing yourself for no reason... _explaned the little alien, looking somewhat depressed.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- What are you saying?! _"Is Zim...-", he's trail of thoughts was interrupted.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- </span>
  <em>
    <span>LIFE FORM: HUMAN. THREAT: NONE. MOVE </span>
  </em>
  <span>_stated the machine, tossing Dib across his lab with ease.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- </span>
  <strong>
    <span>Dib</span>
  </strong>
  <span>! _screamed the alien, instinctively.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boy crashed his back against a table corner, making him crack. He's spine was hurting, but no more than his chest from the robot's punch. He was going to be fine, though.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- </span>
  <em>
    <span>IRKEN ZIM, </span>
  </em>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span>TURN AROUND</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Arg.. no... Zim, </span>
  <em>
    <span>don't</span>
  </em>
  <span>- _the boy gasped as if running out of air.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The alien, knowing full well there was no way he could scape that thing, does as it said, with a blank expression on his face. Not fightbacks. No complaints. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This was it</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>There was no hope for him anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A hand extended from the robot's chest, while the other ones held on to the alien's torso. Chip reencoding was much more </span>
  <em>
    <span>intense</span>
  </em>
  <span> than the Iken Control Brains', so an </span>
  <em>
    <span>extra grip </span>
  </em>
  <span>was needed.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- </span>
  <strong>
    <span>Zim</span>
  </strong>
  <span>!!! _Dib yelled, as loud as his damaged lungs allowed him to.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>But, unfortunately, it was already too late.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Dib's voice seemed muffled as if he was in another room. As the electrical waves passed through him, Zim could feel his whole body </span>
  <em>
    <span>aching</span>
  </em>
  <span>, every muscle </span>
  <em>
    <span>tensioning</span>
  </em>
  <span>, each nerve </span>
  <em>
    <span>twisting</span>
  </em>
  <span>, all his cells </span>
  <em>
    <span>burning</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Felt like a shmillion of fiery needles stabbing his every inch.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The alien was petrified. His body </span>
  <em>
    <span>wouldn't respond</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The tears </span>
  <em>
    <span>didn't fall</span>
  </em>
  <span>. His voice </span>
  <em>
    <span>couldn't come out</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was a nightmare. It had to be. The pain was unbearable. At that moment, Zim's only thoughts were "ah, guess </span>
  <strong>
    <span>death</span>
  </strong>
  <span> would have been better, after all".</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>It has started to look interesting hehe.</p><p>I wish i could post the next one this weekend, but this is "test season", so i have to study ;-;.</p><p>But I'll post as soon as I can.</p><p>For those who are enjoying this, I'm sorry rsrs.</p><p>I think I might have edited this for the 20th time now :')</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This was a small chapter, just for the tryout. I'll post more soon.</p><p>OBS:<br/>I've decided to use "_" instead of "-" to separate the character's and narrator's voice because it would allow me to use "-" to indicate someone being cut shot on their sentence. Using the same symbol for both occasions seemed too messy to me.</p><p>Iears is correct (here). 1 iear is equal to 2.3 years on earth. It's this something I thought would be fun to include :3.</p><p>Also, just so you don't get too confused, Tallest Spork was the Tallest before Miyuki and never got to meet Zim (yo, there is no way the dude would walk away had killed TWO tallest..)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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